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Things to do in Valencia's coolest neighbourhood

Barcelona isn't the only buzzing Spanish city on the beach: just along the coast, Valencia is upping its game as creatives transform central barrio Ruzafa into its hippest streetscape. Here are the coolest things to do in Valencia's most happening neighbourhood.

EAT

The decor at Canalla Bistro

It says something about the pull of Ruzafa that Valencia's chef-of-the-moment, Ricard Camarena, has not one but two locales in the barrio (his eponymous Michelin-star restaurant is next door at Calle Doctor Sumsi 4). Canalla Bistro has wooden crates on the ceiling and concrete paving on the floor. The diverting menu is based on sharing plates such as potato, cuttlefish and parsley bomba and roast-chicken croquetas. Calle Maestro José Serrano 5 (+34 96 374 0509; www.canallabistro.com). About £30 for two

To judge by the pared-down and minimalist interior of Copenhagen, its plain wooden bartop and lovely lighting (to say nothing of the name), the appetite for cool Scandi culture has reached the torrid south. For Copenhagen's legion of fans, however, what really matters is the food: Mediterranean with nods towards Thailand and Japan. And it just happens to be entirely vegetarian. Calle Literato Azorín 8 (+34 96 328 9928; www.grupocopenhagen.com). About £30 for two

Now here's a good idea: wines by the glass or bottle from all over the world, as well as from unexpected corners of Spain, hand-picked by star sommelier Guillaume Glories and ceremoniously served with some of Ruzafa's best tapas. The five-course sharing menu at Entrevins (salted-cod fritters with honey aioli, veal pinchomoruno with romesco sauce, for example) is a steal at about £20. Calle Reina Doña María 3 (+34 96 333 3523; www.entrevins.es)

La Más Bonita's new downtown locale replicates all the things the community loved about the original LMB near Patacona beach, one of the best of Valencia's beaches: the endearing decor in shades of seaside blue, the objets trouvés, the heartfelt commitment to fair-trade and organic food producers, the home-made muesli with almond milk, the spelt-bread sandwiches and organic wines. Calle Cádiz 61 (+34 96 323 6400; www.lamasbonita.es)

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Mallorcan Clara Ruiz's delightful little bar/café/shop S'Alat-Bar i Botiga works like a charm - both its bright and breezy look (island-sourced fabrics and furniture) and its Mallorquín food specialities such as pamboli (tomato-rubbed bread) and crisp coques with spinach, cheese, raisins and pinenuts, making this an outpost of the Balearics in the big city. Pintor Salvador Abril 34 (+34 96 303 4975)

SHOP

Mercat de Russafa

Alamy

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If you can't stand the heat in the summer, get yourself to Abanicos Carbonell, where the same family (now headed by fourth-generation Guillermo Carbonell) has been making traditional Spanish fans since 1810. The little shop, a real neighbourhood classic, is crammed with fans at every price and in every possible style, from hardcore trad to funky silk ones hand-painted by Guillermo's daughter Paula. Calle Castellón 21 (+34 96 341 5395; www.abanicoscarbonell.com)

The multi-coloured retro-chic of the Mercat de Russafa building (the Valencian spelling of Ruzafa), a great example of Mediterranean brutalism dating from 1957, has become a symbol of the barrio around it. Inside you will find a Valencian produce market in all its glory: check out the sweet-potato and roasted-pumpkin stalls, the olives and pickled encurtidos and the magnificent veg from nearby farms. Plaza Barón de Cortés (+34 96 374 4025; www.mercatderussafa.com)

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In a city whose love of colour and detail verges on the kitsch, the minimalist simplicity of the Siemprevivas showroom window might stop you in your tracks. Valencian designer Adrián Salvador's exquisitely cut clothes are attracting attention not just in Spain but also in Paris and New York. Calle Doctor Serrano 13 (+34 62 974 6490; www.siemprevivas.es)

DRINK

Tula Café

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Calle Cadiz, the funky main street of the area, hums with original proposals such as Tula Café, a congenial hybrid of coffee shop and music bar that is open all day, every day. Ruzafa's modernos have grown fond of Tula's milkshakes and granizados, its grown-up cocktails and eclectic soundtrack, from Massive Attack to Melody Gardot. Calle Cádiz 62 (+34 96 341 5095; www.tulacafe.es)

Café Berlin, the barrio's best-loved boozer, is stuffed with mismatched furniture in a modern style (there's even a swing). It is all things to local bohos, with exhibitions, a library, live music, free Wi-Fi and knitting lessons on Wednesday afternoons. The Berlin's Mojitos may be the best in town; and at about £1 for two, its Mahou beer may be the cheapest. Calle Cádiz 22 (+34 96 381 0024)

SEE

Ruzafa might be short on museums and monuments, but just north of it lies a railway station that's something to see. The Estación del Norte is a modernist masterpiece dating from 1917, whose grand façade has motifs of oranges and orange blossom (very Valencia), while the ticket hall is a bejewelled marvel of local craftsmanship in glass, ceramic tiles, mosaic and wood. Calle Xàtiva 24

Founded in 2011, Espai Tactel has quickly become Ruzafa's leading purveyor of new Spanish art and is often touted as Valencia's most forward-thinking contemporary gallery. Uncompromising modernity is part of the deal, and recent shows have included up-and-coming local names such as Nelo Vinuesa, Sergio Belinchón and Rosana Antolí. Calle Denia 25 (+34 96 395 8808; www.espaitactel.com)

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SLEEP

El 16 Ruzafa

In the absence of a boutique hotel or two in the area - these will surely not be long in coming - El 16 Ruzafa is a fine alternative. There are five apartments sleeping two to six people in an early-20th-century modernist building with a chic monochrome colour scheme. There's also a rooftop terrace you will want to take your drinks up to. Calle Sueca 16 (+34 96 351 9612; www.nwtspain.com). Doubles from about £50

Rooms at the shiny-shiny Petit Palace Germanías are very comfortable and well-equipped. The doubles with a balcony have great views and the hotel couldn't be handier for the attractions of raucous Ruzafa. It's also dog-friendly, a rarity in Spain. Calle Sueca 14 (+44 203 499 5871; www.hotelpetitpalacegermanias.com). Doubles from about £60

Don't miss

Every new hood must have an organic market, and here is no exception. On Sunday mornings the Parish pitches up at El Patio De Ruzafa (Calle Literato Azorin 13, next to Ubik café, 10am-3pm) to stock up on fruit and veg, pulses, oils, cheeses, bread and wine. Workshops on bread -or soup-making and rooftop veg gardening add to the fun. At lunchtime everyone tucks into a fabulous paella. This is Valencia, after all.

Local know-how

Julián Romero Martin, Café and gallery owner

Café 33

'I was born in Ruzafa 37 years ago, so I've seen its evolution at first hand. I used to go to the market with my grandmother. When I opened Trentatres Gallery in 2007 there wasn't much going on; the change has been incredible. I love Circa for brunch - it's kept its original façade of an old greengrocers - and Dulce de Leche, an Argentinian pastry shop, for the strawberry and lemon tart. For a beer and tapas at midday, La Conservera is fantastic, and local people love the agua de Valencia (cava with orange juice) and the coca de la iaia (crisp vegetable tart) at my Café 33. I also help run Russafa Escènica, a performing-arts festival held every September in unconventional spaces. What do I love about my barrio? The fact that it's so real, not just a shop window.' www.russafaescenica.com